Dispensing device for collapsible containers



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTOQMEYS Oct. 25, 1955 F. BURAS, JR

DISPENSING DEVICE FOR COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINERS Filed May 29, 1953 F. BURAS, JR

Oct. 25, 1955 DISPENSING DEVICE FOR COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINERS Filed May 29, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. FREDERICK BURAS AI ATTORNEY-s United States Patent C) DISPENSING DEVICE FOR COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINERS Frederick Bnras, Jr., Gretna, La.

Application May 29, 1953, Serial No. 358,371

3 Claims. (Cl. 222-103) This invention relates to dispensing devices, and more particularly, has reference to a device of the character referred to which is particularly adapted to extrude pastefrom a conventional collapsible container, such as a container used for holding toothpaste, shaving cream, etc.

The present invention is an improvement on the construction disclosed in my application Serial No. 345,004, filed March 27, 1953, now Patent No. 2,678,755, to the extent that in the instant structure, a simplified formation of parts is provided, facilitating manufacture of the dispensing device from plastic material or the like.

One important object of the present invention is to provide an improved dispensing device in which the number of parts will be reduced to a minimum, the present device having only five pieces, with all of said pieces being particularly designed to permit quantity production thereof at low cost.

Another object of importance is to provide a dispensing device as described in which, despite the simplified formation thereof and the relatively low cost of manufacture, there will still be an efiicient squeezing action exerted against a conventional collapsible container supported by the device.

Another object of importance is to provide a device as described which will be so designed as to permit containers of different sizes to be positioned therein.

Another object is to provide a dispensing device as stated wherein a stationary pressure plate is adapted to be mounted upon a vertical Wall surface, a movable pressure plate being swingably connected at one end to said stationary plate, with said plates being relatively arranged for exerting a squeezing action against a collapsible container disposed therebetween. An operating lever is pivotally connected at its upper end to the stationary plate, in back of said stationary plate, and slidably mounted upon the movable plate is a follower. engaged by the operating lever when the operating lever is swung in a direction away from the stationary plate, with the follower being so arranged as to exert pressure against the movable plate tending to swing the same in the direction of the stationary plate, thereby to exert a squeezing action against the collapsible container. The follower is self-feeding, that is, the follower is mounted upon the movable plate for gravitational movement, with the follower shifting automatically toward the lower end of the structure as the collapsible container decreases in cross sectional area. This arrangement holds the movable plate in each position to which the movable plate is swung toward the stationary plate, thereby to insure that each movement of the lever away from the stationary plate will be effective to transmit, instantaneously, swinging movement to the movable plate for extruding the contents of the collapsible container.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

The follower is 2,721,675 Patented Oct. 25, 1955 Figure 1 is a perspective view of an improved dispenser formed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view;

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure 3, a collapsible container being illustrated in dotted lines;

Figure 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view.

The device constituting the present invention includes four main pieces, these being a stationary pressure plate 10, a movable pressure plate 12, an operating lever or triggering arm 14, and a follower 16.

Considering first the construction of the stationary pressure plate 10, said pressure plate is formed from a single piece of plastic material, readily shaped to include a relatively elongated, rectangular body 18 formed with parallel ribs 20 spaced inwardly from its side edges and extending fully from end to end of the body. The ribs 20 constitute means for strengthening the body without sacrificing rigidity, thus to permit the device to be manufactured from relatively thin plastic material.

The body 18 is integrally formed, at its upper end, with rearwardly extended cars 22, said ears projecting from the opposite side edges of the body and terminating, at their free ends, in outwardly extended feet apertured for extension of fastening elements therethrough. At its lower end, the body 18 has rearwardly projecting cars 24, terminating in outwardly extending feet, also apertured to receive fastening elements.

By reason of this arrangement, the stationary pressure plate 10 is adapted to be fixedly mounted upon a vertical wall surface, not shown, with the body 18 being spaced outwardly from said wall surface.

Considering the construction of the movable pressure plate 12, said movable pressure plate, like the stationary plate, is formed from a single piece of plastic material. The movable plate has a rectangular body 26 overlyingthe body of the stationary plate, with the body 26 being integrally formed, at opposite sides thereof, with side walls 28. The side walls 28 embrace the body 18 of the stationary plate between them, and are provided, at their upper ends, with transversely aligned apertures receiving a pivot pin 30. Pivot pin30 extends through openings formed in the ears 22 of the stationary pressure plate, the movable plate thus being swingably mounted upon the stationary plate for movement toward and away therefrom.

At its lower end, the body 26 of the movable pressure plate is integrally formed with a forwardly projected offset portion 32, said offset portion 32 merging at its lower edge into a rearwardly extended ledge 34 having a slot 36. Slot 36 opens upon the back edge of ledge 34, thus to permit the neck of a container C to be extended into the slot. The container C, as shown in Figure 4, is thus supported in an inverted position between the movable and stationary pressure plates, and it will be apparent that swinging of the movable plate in the direction of the stationary plate will be effective to exert pressure against the collapsible container tending to reduce the cross sectional area thereof, thus to extrude the paste contents of the container.

As shown in Figure 4, the movable pressure plate is integrally formed, at the intersection of the offset 32 with the lower end portion of the body 26, with a shoulder 38, said shoulder engaging one side of the container C immediately adjacent the conventional, conically formed head portion of the container. A beveled edge 40 is formed upon the lower end of the body 18 of the stationary pressure plate, and similarly engages the container C at a diametrically opposite location. By reason of this arrangement, when the movable pressure plate 3 has been swung toward the stationary plate to a maximum extent, the contents of the container will be exhausted to a maximum extent, without, however, rupturing he Wall of the container.

Formed in the respective. side alls 28 of the mova l pressure plate are longitudinal slots 42, said slots being closed at their opposite ends and being inclined obliquely to the main plane of the body 26 of the movable pressure plate (see Figure 4). Extending through the respective slots 42 are the oppositely and laterally projected trunnions 44 of the follower 16, said trunnions being integrally formed upon the outer ends of spacer lugs 46, said lugs 46 projecting outwardly from the opposite side edges of the body 48 of the follower, The body 48 of the follower has a longitudinal slot 50 formed therei said slot opening upon the upper edge of the follower as best shown in Figure 3.

The follower is thus mounted upon the movable pres sure plate for both sliding and rocking movement, the follower being rockable in each position to which it is slidably shifted lengthwise of the movable pressure plate. The follower will, of course, gravitate along the movable pressure plate, according to the extent to which the movable pressure plate is swung toward the body 18. In this connection, the follower is disposed in back of the stationary pressure plate, and embraces the operating lever 14. The operating lever 14 is formed simply as an elongated, plastic member which in the present instance, but not necessarily, is of rectangular cross sectional configuration, the lower end of said lever extending downwardly below the lower ends of the movable and stationary pressure plates, and being formed with a forwardly opening recess 52 in which is engageable one end of a tooth brush or the like, not shown.

The lever 14 extends within the slot 50 of the follower, thus to cause the follower to straddle said lever. In this regard, the lever is disposed in back of the body 18, be tween said body and the bight portion of the follower, the lever normally extending in longitudinal contact with the stationary pressure plate, as shown in Figure 4.

In use of the device, the follower would first be adjusted upwardly within the slots 42, thus to permit the movable pressure plate to be swung outwardly, in a direction away from the stationary plate. This permits insertion of a collapsible container C. Thereafter, the follower will gravitate to the maximum extent permitted according to the thickness of the collapsible container. When, subsequently, it is desired to extrude part of the container contents, it is merely necessary that the free or lower end of the lever 14 be swung rearwardly, in a direction away from the body 18 of the stationary pressure plate. This will cause the lever to exert a pressure against the bight portion of the follower 16, tending to swing the lower end of the follower in a direction away from the body 18 (see Figure 4).

When the follower is swung in this manner, its upper end will be rocked against the back surface of the body 18 of the stationary pressure plate. As a result, pressure will be exerted against the movable pressure plate, at the location of the trunnions 44, said pressure against the movable pressure plate being to the right in Figure 4. The movable plate is thus swung toward the stationary plate, thereby to exert a transverse pressure against the container C tending to collapse the same and extrude the container contents onto a toothbrush or similar article disposed below the container neck.

As the transverse thickness of the container C is progressively reduced, the follower will, of course, gravitate along the slots 42, and will feed itself automatically lengthwise of the lever 14, while at all times remaining in contact with the lever. In this way, the movable pressure plate is held in each position to which it is progressively swung toward the stationary plate, against retrograde movement.

It will be apparent that the design of the dispenser is such as to cause the parts to be disposed, at all times, in such positions relative to one another as to insure that a proper pressure will be placed on the container tending to collapse the same, on swinging of the operating lever 14 in a direction away from the stationary pressure plate body 18. Further, it is considered to be an important characteristic of the invention that while these desirable results are obtained, the cost of manufacture is held to a minimum. This is due to the fact that the entire device is comprised of only five parts, all of which can be readily fashioned from inexpensive plastic material or the like.

To receive the tube end seams of tubes of different sizes, transverse grooves 54 are formed in the inner surface of movable plate 12.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A dispenser for collapsible containers formed throughout of a plastic material and comprising: a stationary, vertically disposed, pressure plate formed from a single piece of plastic material; a movable pressure plate also formed from a single piece of plastic material and overlying the stationary plate, said movable plate being hinged at its upper end to the stationary plate and being swingable toward the stationary plate for exerting pressure against a collapsible container disposed therebetween, thus to collapse the container for ejecting the container contents; side Walls integrally formed upon the movable plate and embracing the stationary plate between them; an operating lever formed from a single piece of plastic material and pivotally connected at its upper end to said stationary plate, said operating lever being disposed in back of the stationary plate; and a follower slidably mounted on the side walls of the movable plate in back of the stationary plate, said follower being formed from a single piece of plastic material and being engaged by the lever, so as to be biased away from the plates on swinging of the lever in a direction away from the stationary plate, whereby to transmit pressure against the movable plate tending to swing the same toward the stationary plate, said follower gravitating longitudinally of the movable plate and lever responsive to collapsing of the container, so as to hold the movable plate against movement away from the stationary plate.

2. A dispenser for collapsible containers comprising: a stationary, vertically disposed pressure plate having a flat body and including means for fixedly mounting said body upon a vertical supporting surface; a movable pressure plate overlying and hinged at its upper end to the stationary plate, said movable plate swinging toward the stationary plate for exerting pressure against a collapsible container disposed in the space between the movable plate and the body of the stationary plate, thus to collapse said container, the movable plate having side walls embracing between them the body of the stationary plate; an elongated operating lever pivotally connected at its upper end to said stationary plate and disposed in back of the stationary plate, said operating lever having its lower end projecting below the lower end of the body of the stationary plate for engagement by a tooth brush or similar article; and a follower slidably mounted upon the side walls of the movable plate in back of the stationary plate, said side walls having longitudinal slots receiving trunnions projecting laterally from the follower in opposite directions, whereby .to mount the follower upon the side walls for rocking movement as well as for slidable movement, said follower being engaged at one end by the lever so as to be biased away from the plates on swinging of the lever in a direction away from the stationary plate, thus to rock the follower and transmit pressure against the movable plate at the location of said trunnions, tending to swing the movable plate toward the stationary plate, said follower gravitating longitudinally of the slots to hold the movable plate against movement away from the stationary plate.

3. A dispenser for collapsible containers comprising: a stationary pressure plate; a movable pressure plate hinged upon and swingable toward the stationary plate for exerting pressure against a collapsible container disposed therebetween, for collapsing said container; an operating lever pivoted on said stationary plate; and means mounted on the movable plate for gravitational sliding movement and for rocking motion relative to the movable plate in the positions to which it gravitates, said lever being arranged to engage said means in each of said positions and rock the same responsive to swinging of the lever in one direction, said means having a portion exerting pressure on the movable plate in a direction tending to bias the movable plate toward the stationary plate when said means is rocked.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,320,275 Roach Oct. 28, 1919 1,563,459 Volland Dec. 1, 1925 2,231,889 Davis Feb. 18, 1941 2,340,681 Oursler Feb. 1, 1944 2,556,826 Stone June 12, 1951 2,678,755 Buras, Jr. May 18, 1954 

